First Down

Ira Miller

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, December 15, 2002

Trouble Brewing?

Marc Bulger, who began the season as No. 3 but has been the only St. Louis quarterback to win a game (5-0 as a starter), will start the team's three remaining games if he stays healthy. And if he continues his success, it's fairly easy to guess the prime offseason topic for the Rams.

"If Marc continues to grow and get better, with the success he had with this football team, you can't ignore that kind of success," Martz said. "And we certainly would not. Then it's a healthy situation, I think."

Well, it is at least for the media and fans who will have a field day with the controversy over whether Bulger or two-time MVP Kurt Warner should be the starter.

"I'm concerned about Kurt. . . . We need to look at Kurt's hand and make sure in the offseason and evaluate and get him back to where he was before all this happened," Martz said. "And then we'll just look at (the quarterback situation) from that point on. I don't think there is any reason to speculate who's going to do what or anything like that."

Actually, there is plenty of reason to speculate. Warner is due a $6 million bonus payment in February. He was placed on injured reserve this week and is out for the season, meaning he finishes with an 0-6 record as a starter,

throwing nearly four times as many interceptions (11) as TD passes (3) and with a passer rating (67.4) that is more than 30 points below his career rating (103.0) at the start of the season.

HANGING ON

Dick Vermeil returned to the NFL after a 14-year absence and won the Super Bowl with the Rams following the 1999 season. Then he retired again, only to resurface in 2001 with Kansas City. Although the 66-year-old coach has the Chiefs on the cusp of playoff contention, he admits he often second-guesses his decision to come out of retirement a second time.

"I question my decision to come back every time we lose because it kills you," he said. "It takes a lot out of you. You bounce back and go to work. As the leader, you have to do that. You have to set the example for everybody in the organization. That doesn't mean it's easy. That doesn't mean it's a lot of fun."

The Chiefs, whose defense has improved in the second half, have a chance to reach the playoffs because their final three games are against AFC West opponents.

NO MORE CINDERELLA

Is the clock striking midnight for Pittsburgh QB Tommy Maddox? The year's feel-good story is 0-2-1 in his past three starts, has thrown five INTs in his past two starts and posted a passer rating of 44.9 and 55.1 in those two games.

His rating, which was 97.9 after he set a franchise record with 473 yards passing in a 34-34 tie against Atlanta on Nov. 10, is now 83.9.

Now, Pittsburgh, which already pretty much decided against keeping Kordell Stewart and his $6.3 million deal for 2003, is uncertain of who will be its QB of the future.

What has happened is that teams began to blitz Maddox heavily and he did not stand up well to it. With strong defenses awaiting the Steelers in the next two games (Carolina and Tampa Bay), it is not only the future that is in jeopardy. Pittsburgh's playoff hopes are on the ropes, too.

HITTING HARD

Tennessee's season turned around after a 1-4 start when 175-pound cornerback Samari Rolle, lightest player on the team, knocked Jacksonville QB Mark Brunell out of a game. Rolle was fined $7,500 for the hit, but the Titans believe it was a turning point.

They are now 8-5 and have held four of the past eight opponents under 200 yards passing. Team officials say ex-49er Lance Schulters has helped lead the turnaround with his hitting and leadership.

"When you get (a big hit) it sends a message to the offense about how we're going to play the rest of the game," said strong safety Tank Williams, a rookie from Stanford. "That's the mentality we're taking every game now."